Chicken pad thai

I haven't made pad thai for a few years, but making it yourself tastes so much fresher.  Enjoy!!!
Use your left over tofu in a stir fry.

200g pkt thai rice noodles
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
175g firm tofu (I buy soyco brand)
4 green onions (shallots), thinly sliced
1 cup bean shoots, trimmed (I soak them in cold water so they are nice and crunchy)
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
sweet chilli sauce and limes wedges, to serve

1. Place noodles in a bowl.  Pour over boiling water and leave to soften for 15-20 minutes.  Drain.
2. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and chilli in a jug.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok over high heat.  Add eggs and stir-fry until egg has scrambled.  Transfer egg to a bowl.  Heat remaining oil and stir-fry chicken until just cooked.  Add sauce, tofu, green onions, bean shoots, coriander and egg.  Stir-fry until heated through.
4. Serve noodles with chilli sauce and lime wedges.

Pumpkin Soup

This recipe is South American.  If you don't like it spicy and just want basic pumpkin soup omit the chilli, tomato, cream, mint and coriander.  Replace this with 1 large potato, 1 carrot and flat-leaf parsley.  I add potato and carrot to my basic soup just to give extra flavour.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

5-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (sometimes I use Massel stock powder)

1/2 cup cream

2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander 

1 tablespoons freshly chopped mint

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1.    Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook onion, garlic and chillies until soft.

2.    Add pumpkin, tomatoes and 5 cups stock.  Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.

3.    Puree soup until smooth.   Return soup to the heat.  Add remaining stock and stir through cream, coriander and mint.  Season with salt and pepper.

4.    Serve soup with grated parmesan cheese. 

Serves 4-6

Agnolotti with bacon, mushroom and tomato sauce

This recipe is for Carly & Brooke who have no time to cook - just a quick meal during the week - no need for take-away!!!

375g pkt fresh agnolotti pasta (you can use ravioli or tortellini)
1 tablespoon olive oil
125g pkt short cut bacon, chopped
150g-200g mushrooms, sliced
500g jar tomato pasta sauce
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (use can also use basil)
Grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook pasta in a saucepan of boiling water according to packet directions.  Drain.
Heat oil in a frying pan and cook bacon until golden.  Add mushrooms to bacon and cook until mushrooms are soft.
Return pasta to saucepan.  Add bacon, mushrooms and pasta sauce.
Stir pasta over a low heat until heated through.
Serve pasta with parmesan cheese.

Yummy meat patties

I have been asked to show the cooked meat patties, so here you go.

Will add pumpkin soup recipe to blog in the next 2 days.

Yummy meat patties

I love making meals with mince it is very cheap and you can combine it with leftover herbs you have.
If you don't have fresh herbs just use dried herbs you will probably only need 2 tablespoons.
I only spent $6.00 at coles and bought meat, onion and 1 lemon.  The rest of the ingredients I used from the fridge and pantry.

500g pork & veal mince
1 eschallot, finely chopped
1 egg
1 lemon, rind finely grated (juice half the lemon) (use the other half of lemon to serve)
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used stale italian bread - 2 slices and processed)
1/2 cup mixed herbs (I used flat-leaf parsley and mint), finely chopped
salt and pepper

Place the mince in a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients.
Mix with your hands to combine well.
Roll mixture into 12 even patties.
Place on a plate lined with baking paper and place in the fridge until ready to cook.
Cook these patties on a barbecue or frypan with a little oil.
Serve with cous cous and remaining lemon.  I am also going serve these with barbecued mult-grain tortillas. (Just spray tortillas with oil and barbecue until toasted and crisp).
You can also serve with hummus and salad.

Yummy herb meat patties

Tonite I am going to cook some very yummy herb meat patties.